June 14, 2016

The terrible Orlando massacre

I'll start by saying that I believe the shooting at the gay nightclub in Orlando was a horrific and terrible act of terror, regardless of the motivation behind it. My heart goes out to families and friends who have lost loved ones in the senseless tragedy. It's terrible, sicken and truly sad whenever something like this happens.

Here are a couple of other thoughts on the situation. Regardless of what I believe about differing lifestyles and morality, it is not my place to impose my beliefs on others, just as I would expect no one do the same to me. While I might as a Christian want to warn others about promiscuity etc. (and no, I'm not explicitly equating homosexuality with promiscuity) if I do so and they choose to ignore my advice or opinion, so be it. That is their prerogative. Similarly, anyone who believes that they have a right or a mandate to impose a death sentence on those who do not conform to their views (or perhaps impose Sharia law, or laws requiring churches to marry people whom they morally feel compelled not to do), is simply put, wrong. They are wrong on every level. Murder is morally reprehensible.

A civilized society does require laws, but it requires the minimal amount possible in order to provide as much individual liberty as is feasible. That is the society we have opted for in Western civilization. The degree to which governments adhere to that varies and can be quite telling. A civilized society does not require vigilante Wild West style justice.

And on another note, some good is being ignored in this situation, probably because of who is behind it:

Chick Fil A has made national news for it’s owners’ stance on gay marriage. Anytime they do something even remotely non-PC, their supposed slip up goes viral. Hash tags pop up all over the place.

So why is that what they have done in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting hasn’t received a single mention on the mainstream new outlets?

It’s probably because people like New York City Mayor, Bill DeBlasio might have to eat crow instead of chicken. DeBlasio has said that Chick Fil A spreads a message of hate.

Not so yesterday. In a shocking move, the Orlando location at University and Rouse Road fired up its grills on Sunday. The chain is notorious for not being open, ever, on the first day of the week. Employees cooked up hundreds of their famous chicken sandwiches. They brewed dozens of gallons of sweet tea.Chick-fil-A-logo-vec

Then, instead of making a single dime, they crated the product of their labor to the One Blood donation center. The food and drinks were handed out, free of charge, to all the people who had lined up to donate blood.

A wonderful example of hating the sin and not the sinner, quite unlike the approach taken by the shooter in this case. And dare I say it, Chick-fil-A has chosen the Christian thing to do here.